Why do children and hammocks go together so well? As we have discovered over the past three and a half years with our son Miguel, hammocks can be a great place for them to sleep or play. Today I am writing about my experiences with my own son and how the hammocks in our house have improved our lives.
When our son was first born he had a bad sleep pattern due to reflux. Because I grew up using hammocks all of my life, I put him to sleep in the hammock. This helped our son to sleep better for longer and made sure we got the sleep that we needed. The main thing with hammocks and babies that you have to watch out for is the weave of the hammock. Make sure the weave is small enough not to be able to pass your fingers through too easily. Also you do not want a hammock that is all one cloth as this can stop the child from breathing. The best is a crochet hammock as the weave of these hammocks are small and very comfortable. Make sure the sides are high on the hammock so the baby cannot not fall out. There are some hammocks out on the market made with these high side but if you already have a hammock you are happy with tie the side support strings up to make a loop. In the mayan language this is called a toup. This will make the sides higher and baby cannot not escape. I remember our son waking up and standing up trying to get out of these one day but because of the sides he could not escape. Always what out for the baby when they are in the hammock, it is best to only leave them alone when they are asleep so they cannot move or try to crawl out through the support strings.
Mexican hammocks are also a great place to breast feed the baby or even bottle feed the baby. The swinging motion creates a relaxing position for the mother and baby or dad if he is bottle feeding bub. It also makes it more comfortable for the mother as the hammock supports her back whilst breast feeding.
The hammock is great also as the child gets older. It is easier to wash the hammock then it is the bed sometimes. When we were potty training our son we used to have a couple of hammocks on hand so if he wet one we could change it for the other and only the hammock got wet. It is advisable to place a plastic sheet under the hammock to protect the floor.
Now as our son has gotten older he enjoys playing in the hammock and is very confident in getting in and out of the hammock. The best thing to do with you hammocks is to teach your children how to get into and out of the hammock, this will ensure they are safer. Also make sure the hammock is hung a bit lower than normal so that any spills out of the hammock don’t result into an injury. Yes our son has fallen out of the hammock many a time and had a cry but afterwards is more than happy to get back into the hammock. He enjoys swinging the hammock as I did when I was growing up. In Merida it seems that the children love to play with the hammocks and swing them high into the air with their friends helping them swing the hammock. Our son still uses his hammock to sleep his siestas in and really enjoys when we get in the hammock with him too.
Mexican hammocks are a great thing to have around with you children. They are great to use as a sleep device or just something to play in. But remember always make sure you have strong supports for the hammocks and that you always keep an eye on the hammock when children are playing in them. Kids will be kids and will find a way to get into trouble. We hope this little post helps you to learn a bit more about hammocks and their many uses.
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